Break in the Rain

It’s the rainy season, with clouds so low they hide half the mountain and platter-sized maple leaves layer the ground. Rain has fallen steady for a week, pouring all weekend and tapering to clouds by Monday.

Midweek, I wake up to the sun. It's really more of a hazy glow than gold, but on a freelancer’s schedule, I have the luxury of capturing it when I can. Because it feels so rare, even though winter has barely started, I harness the dog, lace up my shoes, and head up the mountain.

It’ll only be a short walk, I tell myself, much like I promise myself to write a few paragraphs in hopes there’ll be more. My dog dives for the switchbacks, the light-spattered road enticing us just another turn, even though there’s work waiting back home.

We aren’t alone, spotting two other people on the route, one on foot with five dogs spilling over one another. We ask each other if we’re headed to the top of the mountain, replying cheerfully that we’re not, a brief outing good enough. On the way back down, the skies turn gray with insistent drops smacking what’s left of the leaves.

Given the Northwest drought this past summer, the shift to rain is welcome, a return to normalcy. The El Nino winter forecast promises dryer conditions for the North, rain for the South, and warmer temperatures for the West. This means loving the rain alongside the sun breaks, embracing the 4:30 pm, damp-spattered darkness and what it provides the landscape long term. On the last curves of the trail, the dog and I don’t rush, letting the cool drops spot our hair, reassured we’re almost back. 

NOAA Winter Weather

Weather Network Prediction